The term “improvised explosive device” (IED) is used to describe bombs that are constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military applications. Often, an IED is placed on or near a roadway and is configured to detonate when a vehicle passes over the IED or proximate to the IED. Accordingly, locating IEDs prior to detonation is a critical task. There are currently several suitable techniques for locating/identifying IEDs prior to detonation. Typically, after an IED has been located, the IED is caused to be detonated after an area proximate thereto has been secured, such that damage caused by the IED is controlled.
Oftentimes, however, rather than detonating the IED, it may be desirable to disarm the IED, which may be useful in identifying techniques used by the IED maker, and thus may be of use in locating the IED maker. Further, disarming an IED (rather than detonating the IED) prevents infrastructure from becoming damaged. Conventional techniques for disarming IEDs, however, are suboptimal. Specifically, robotics have been deployed to disarm IEDs; however, conventional robotics are prohibitively expensive. For instance, a conventional robotic device that is suitable for disarming IEDs may cost millions of dollars.